In yarn manufacturing, yarns generally are spun from one or more fibers, including natural and/or synthetic fibers, using conventional ring, open-end, air-jet, worsted, woolen, or Dref spinning processes. The yarns then are used in a single form or ply or are plied together with other yarns or filaments to produce a single but bigger yarn. One of the principal problems with spun formed yarns generally is the tendency of such yarns to unravel or fray when cut, and, depending upon the method of spinning, such yarns generally will have inherently low abrasion qualities. To try to solve this problem it has generally been known to add a low-melt fiber or filament, as a percentage, into the mass yarn bundle. Thereafter, following completion of the spinning and/or twisting process, when the yarns are processed through a heat-set range, they are generally exposed to temperatures and dwell times that melt the low-melt fibers into an adhesive that bonds the fibers and/or plies of the yarn(s) together. Other methods of solving the unraveling or fraying problem typically consist of adding adhesives to the finished yarn in a costly after-process that also tends to deter their natural surface characteristics.
One example of yarn products where the problem of unraveling and/or diminishment of surface characteristics are especially problematic is mops. Mops usually consist of one or more spun yarns containing cotton and/or other fibers of good absorption and abrasion properties, twisted as a single yarn in a Z rotation. These yarns are then grouped or plied with 2 to 32 ends of the same type yarn or other yarns of different structures or compositions and are twisted in an opposite rotation until the yarn is balanced. Such yarns generally have good absorption properties and are preferred in the janitorial field. However, by their inherent structure, these mops typically tend to unravel or lint as they are used. This shortens the usable life for the mop and tends to cause lint to be distributed on and thus diminish the finish of cleansed surfaces.
To combat this, mops made of non-woven strips have been introduced into the market. These strips are manufactured by carding and forming a fiber mass and adhering it together by adhesives or by thermal bonding. This process, however, tends to diminish or lessen the absorption properties of the mop. Further, while the use of many synthetic fibers has yielded products, such as mops, that have good abrasion properties, such products often do not have good absorption or wicking properties, particularly where the fibers are pressed or tightly linked together.
It is therefore seen that a need exists for an economical means of interlocking fibers and plies of spun yarns or filaments together to form yarns that exhibit better abrasion resistance and wicking, do not unravel as quickly, and have a longer usable life.